Legion ready to mark Somme centenary

Times Reporter

Royal British Legion plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening day of the Battle of the Somme have been praised by North Antrim MP, Ian Paisley.

Mr. Paisley recently met with The Royal British Legion’s local Area Manager, Brian Maguire, to discuss support for the Armed Forces community and this year’s World War One commemorations.

Mr Paisley attended the Legion’s event in Parliament to show his support for the charity’s work, and to meet with local area manager Brian Maguire to discuss issues facing the Armed Forces community.

In advance of the summer’s centenary commemorations of the Battle of the Somme, the Legion has produced a comprehensive toolkit to help local communities organise their own commemorative events. Somme 100 provides an opportunity for us all to reflect on one of the bloodiest battles in human history, in which more than one million men were wounded or killed, from all walks of life and every part of the country.

Brian Maguire, the Legion’s area manager for Northern Ireland, said: “I was delighted to see Ian and we were grateful that he took the time to drop in. The Royal British Legion offers a range of welfare support all year round, and last year we answered over 450,000 calls for help. This event offered a great opportunity to spread the word about the range of services that we provide, and discuss our plans for the centenary commemorations of the Battle of the Somme. It was a pleasure to meet with Ian and I look forward to working with him on Armed Forces issues”.

Ian Paisley added: “I enjoyed meeting staff from The Royal British Legion and learning more about the work being done in my local area. Members of the Armed Forces community make huge sacrifices in the service of our country, and I am proud to support the work of the Legion in honouring the memory of the fallen and building a better future for the living.”